Tile-fastener.



No. 721,246. PATENTBD PEB.241903.

H. B. SKEBLE. TILE FASTBNER.

APPLICATION-FILED JLY 5, 1901.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. SKEELE, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS.

TILE-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,246, dated February24, 1903.

Application filed July 5, 1901l To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HENRY B. SKEELE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inTile-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thatclass of clay products known asroofing-tiles, which in a variety of forms and patterns are extensivelyused to form the outer coverings of roofs of buildings; and, morespecifically, it pertains to means for securely fastening the contiguousoverlapping or interlocking end portions of adjacent tiles when inoperative position to each other and to the roof. Owing tothe refractoryand somewhat brittle nature of this class of roof-coverings and theornamental and more or less complicated patterns in which tiles,especially vthe interlocking variety, are

often molded, the usual fastening means, as a nail or screw passedthrough the body of `the tile and directly into an underlying purlin orother element of the roof-frame, has lproved inapplicable in connectionwith tiles of this class, except the plain flat patterns.

The object of my present invention therefore has been to provide asimple, inexpensive, and reliable fastening device adapted to not onlybind together the overlapping ends of the tiles, butto also at the sametime fasten the latter to the underlying purlins or other elements ofthe roof-frame o n which the tile covering is directly supported.

My invention is represented in the aecompanying drawings, in which-Figure lis a perspective view of a fragment of a tile-covered roofstructure viewed from beneath and illustratingV my improved fastener andthe manner in which the same unites the overlapping ends of the tilesandv binds the latter to the underlying roof-frame, and Fig. 2 is adetail in side elevation of my novel fastener shownin operative positionin Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings designates one of the transverse purlins of aroof-frame.

C designates as an entiretya form of roofing-tile in connection withwhich my invention may advantageously be employed, the tile hereinillustrated being substantially of the pattern and construction shown inthe United States patent to Wilhelm Ludowici,

Serial No. 67,145. .(No model.)

No. 283,126, granted August 14C, 1883. For the sake of clearlyillustrating the application and use of my invention I have shownportions of "three cooperating tiles, the lower downwardly-turned marginc of the upper tile overlapping and interlocking with theupwardly-turned upper margins c of two laterally-adjacent lower tiles.The said margin c of the upper tile rests in a corresponding transversegroove formed across the outer faces of the two lower tiles near theupper ends thereof, whereby the tiles are mutually interlocked againstlongitudinal movement relatively to each other,. while Ythey are heldagainst such movement relatively to the supporting-frame of the roof bymeans of transverse ribs c2, formed across their under sides "near theupper end thereof, said ribs overhanging the purlins B in the mannerplainly shown in the drawings.

Referring now more specifically to the improvements forming the subjectof my pres- .ent invention, it ywill be apparent that some means must beprovided for securing the overlapping end portions of the tiles againstoutward movement or separation relatively to each other and to thesupporting-frame of the roof. In order to eect this result, I form inthe molding operation at an appropriate place on the under face of eachtile a lug D, having in one side thereof a hole d of a suitable size anddepth to receive one end of a bent wire fastener, as hereinafterdescribed.

E represents the fastener proper, which consists simply of a singlepiece of suitablybent heavy stiff wire. This fastener has an upperinwardly-bent end section e2, adapted to enter the holes d in lug D, andit has a lower somewhat-extended end section e3, parallel, orsubstantially so, with the end e2 and adapted to be passed under thepurlin B in the manner plainly shown in Fig. 1. The intermediate bodyportion e4 of the fastener is preferably curved at its lower portion topermit the fastener to conformto the upwardlycurved upper end of one ofthe lower tiles which it may engage, such curve also'effect ing aneconomy in the material required for the fastener.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a simple,effective, and inexpensive fastener for the purposes stated, re-

quiring but a minimum of material and capable of easy and quickapplication.

It will be obvious that the utility of my invention is by no meanslimited to the particular form of tile shown and described, but may beapplied with equal advantage to any other form of overlapping tile, noris the fastener limited to the precise form herein shown, except to theextent indicated in the claims, provided it be formed from a singlepiece of wire or equivalent material, the ends whereof are suitably bentto easily and removably engage members which are to be held therebyagainst separation, the fastener being unattached to the partsintermediate its ends.

The fastener will preferably be made of steel wire, in View of theelastic quality of the latter, whereby when in operation it tendsconstantly to draw the parts snugly together.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with an upper and a lowertile, the lower end of the former overlapping the upper end of thelatter, and the upper tile being provided with a recessed lug on itsunder surface near the lower end thereof, of a readily insertible andremovable fastener formed from a-single length of heavy elastic wirehaving its upper end suitably bent to slidingly enter the recess of saidlug and its lower end suitably bent to similarly engage beneath anunderlying member ofthe roof-frame, and otherwise unattached to saidparts, thereby clamping said tiles securely to each other and to theframe of the roof, and being removable by simply withdrawing the same,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pair of overlapping interlocking tiles, thelower of which has formed across its' under surface near its upper end atransverse rib whereby it is supported from an underlying purlin and theupper of which has formed on its under surface near the lower endthereof arecessed lug, of a readily insertible and removable fastenerformed from a single length of heavy elastic wire having its upper endbent to slidingly enter the recess of said lug, its intermediate bodyportion curved to snugly cverlie the upper end of the lower tile, andits lower end bent to lie substantially parallel with its upper end andslidingly engage beneath the under face of the purlin, and otherwiseunattached to said parts, thereby clamping said tiles against outwardand longitudinal displacement relatively to cach other and to theroof-frame, and being removable by simply withdrawing the saule,substantially as described. l

HENRY B. SKEELE. Witnesses:

ARTHUR POLLAK, GEO. P. HEINZ.

